Hersympathieswerechieflywiththecow。ItoldherIhadhopesofRobina’sdevelopingintoasensiblewoman。WetalkedquiteadealaboutRobina。Weagreedthatbetweenuswehadaccomplishedsomethingratherclever。
　　"ImustgetbackassoonasIcan，"Isaid。"Idon’twantyoungButegettingwrongideasintohishead。"
　　"WhoisyoungBute？"sheasked。
　　"Thearchitect，"Iexplained。
　　"Ithoughthewasanoldman，"saidEthelbertha。
　　"OldSpreightisoldenough，"Isaid。"YoungButeisoneofhisyoungmen；butheunderstandshiswork，andseemsintelligent。"
　　"What’shelike？"sheasked。
　　"Personally，anexceedinglyniceyoungfellow。There’sagooddealofsenseinhim。Ilikeaboywholistens。"
　　"Good—looking？"sheasked。
　　"Notobjectionablyso，"Ireplied。"Apleasantface——particularlywhenhesmiles。"
　　"Ishemarried？"sheasked。
　　"Really，itdidnotoccurtometoaskhim，"Iadmitted。"Howcuriousyouwomenare！No，Idon’tthinkso。Ishouldsaynot。"
　　"Whydon’tyouthinkso？"shedemanded。
　　"Oh，Idon’tknow。Hedoesn’tgiveyoutheideaofamarriedman。
　　You’lllikehim。Seemssofondofhissister。"
　　"Shallwebeseeingmuchofhim？"sheasked。
　　"Agoodishdeal，"Ianswered。"IexpecthewillbegoingdownonMonday。Veryannoying，thisstovebusiness。"
　　"Whatistheuseofhisbeingtherewithoutyou？"Ethelberthawantedtoknow。
　　"Oh，he’llpotterround，"Isuggested，"andtakemeasurements。Dickwillbeabouttoexplainthingstohim。Or，ifheisn’t，there’sRobina——awkwardthingis，Robinaseemstohavetakenadisliketohim。"
　　"Whyhasshetakenadisliketohim？"askedEthelbertha。
　　"Oh，becausehemistookthebackofthehouseforthefront，orthefrontofthehousefortheback，"Iexplained；"Iforgetwhichnow。
　　Saysit’shissmilethatirritatesher。Sheownsherselfthere’snorealreason。"
　　"Whenwillyoubegoingdownagain？"Ethelberthaasked。
　　"OnThursdaynext，"Itoldher；"stoveornostove。"
　　Shesaidshewouldcomewithme。Shefeltthechangewoulddohergood，andpromisednottodoanythingwhenshegotthere。AndthenI
　　toldherallthatIhaddoneforDick。
　　"Theordinaryfarmer，"Ipointedouttoher，"issooftenahaphazardtypeofmanwithnoideas。Ifsuccessful，itisbyreasonofanaturalinstinctwhichcannotbetaught。St。Leonardhasstudiedthetheoryofthething。FromhimDickwilllearnallthatcanbelearntaboutfarming。Theselection，Ifelt，demandedcarefuljudgment。"
　　"ButwillDicksticktoit？"Ethelberthawondered。
　　"There，again，"Ipointedouttoher，"thechoicewasonecallingforexceptionalforesight。Theoldman——asamatteroffact，heisn’toldatall；can’tbeverymucholderthanmyself；Idon’tknowwhytheyallcallhimtheoldman——hasformedahighopinionofDick。
　　Hisdaughtertoldmeso，andIhavetakencaretoletDickknowit。
　　Theboywillnotcaretodisappointhim。Hermother——"
　　"Whosemother？"interruptedEthelbertha。
　　"Janie’smother，Mrs。St。Leonard，"Iexplained。"Shealsohasformedagoodopinionofhim。Thechildrenlikehim。Janietoldmeso。"
　　"Sheseemstodoagoodishdealoftalking，thisMissJanie，"
　　remarkedEthelbertha。
　　"Youwilllikeher，"Isaid。"Sheisacharminggirl——sosensible，andgood，andunselfish，and——"
　　"Whotoldyouallthisabouther？"interruptedEthelbertha。
　　"Youcanseeitforyourself，"Ianswered。"Themotherappearstobeanonentity，andSt。Leonardhimself——well，heisnotabusinessman。
　　ItisJaniewhomanageseverything——keepseverythinggoing。"
　　"Whatisshelike？"askedEthelbertha。
　　"Iamtellingyou，"Isaid。"Sheissopractical，andyetatthesametime——"
　　"Inappearance，Imean，"explainedEthelbertha。
　　"Howyouwomen，"Isaid，"doworryaboutmerelooks！Whatdoesitmatter？Ifyouwanttoknow，itisthatsortoffacethatgrowsuponyou。Atfirstyoudonotnoticehowbeautifulitis，butwhenyoucometolookintoit——"
　　"AndhasshealsoformedahighopinionofDick？"interruptedEthelbertha。
　　"Shewillbedisappointedinhim，"Isaid，"ifhedoesnotworkhardandsticktoit。Theywillallbedisappointedinhim。"
　　"What’sitgottodowiththem？"demandedEthelbertha。
　　"I’mnotthinkingaboutthem，"Isaid。"WhatIlookatis——"
　　"Idon’tlikeher，"saidEthelbertha。"Idon’tlikeanyofthem。"
　　"But——"Shedidn’tseemtobelistening。
　　"Iknowthatclassofman，"shesaid；"andthewifeappears，ifanything，tobeworse。Asforthegirl——"
　　"Whenyoucometoknowthem——"Isaid。
　　Shesaidshedidn’twanttoknowthem。ShewantedtogodownonMonday，early。
　　Igothertosee——ittooksomelittletime——thedisadvantagesofthis。WeshouldonlybeaddingtoRobina’stroubles；andchangeofplannowwouldunsettleDick’smind。
　　"Hehaspromisedtowriteme，"Isaid，"andtellmetheresultofhisfirstday’sexperience。Letuswaitandhearwhathesays。"
　　Shesaidthatwhatevercouldhavepossessedhertoletmetakethosepoorunfortunatechildrenawayfromher，andmuddleupeverythingwithouther，wasamysterytoherself。Shehopedthat，atleast，I
　　haddonenothingirrevocableinthecaseofVeronica。
　　"Veronica，"Isaid，"isreallywishful，Ithink，toimprove。Ihaveboughtheradonkey。"
　　"Awhat？"exclaimedEthelbertha。
　　"Adonkey，"Irepeated。"Thechildtookafancytoit，andweallagreeditmighthelptosteadyher——giveherasenseofresponsibility。"
　　"Isomehowfeltyouhadn’toverlookedVeronica，"saidEthelbertha。
　　Ithoughtitbesttochangetheconversation。Sheseemedinafretfulmood。
　　CHAPTERVIII
　　Robina’sletterwasdatedMondayevening，andreachedusTuesdaymorning。
　　"Ihopeyoucaughtyourtrain，"shewrote。"Veronicadidnotgetbacktillhalf—pastsix。Sheinformedmethatyouandshehadfoundagooddealtotalkabout，andthat’onethinghadledtoanother。’
　　Sheisaquaintyoungimp，butIthinkyourlecturemusthavedonehergood。Herpresentattitudeisthatofgentleforbearancetoallaroundher——notwithoutitsdignity。Shehasnotsnortedonce，andattimesisreallyhelpful。Ihavegivenheranemptyscribblingdiarywefoundinyourdesk，andmostofhersparetimesheremainsshutupwithitinthebedroom。Shetellsmeyouandshearewritingabooktogether。Iaskedherwhatabout。ShewavedmeasidewiththeassurancethatIwouldknow’allingoodtime，’andthatitwasgoingtodogood。Icaughtsightofjustthetitle—pagelastnight。
　　Itwaslyingopenonthedressing—table：’WhytheManintheMoonlookssatupon。’Itsoundslikeatitleofyours。ButIwouldnotlookfurther，thoughtempted。Shehasdrawnapictureunderneath。
　　Itisreallynotbad。Theoldgentlemanreallydoeslooksatupon，andintenselydisgusted。
　　"’SirRobert’——hisnamebeingTheodore，whichdoesn’tseemtosuithim——turnsouttobetheonlysonofawidow，aMrs。Foy，ournext—
　　doorneighbourtothesouth。WemethercomingoutofchurchonSundaymorning。Shewasstillcrying。DicktookVeronicaonahead，andIwalkedpartofthewayhomewiththem。Hergrandfather，itappears，waskilledmanyyearsagobytheburstingofaboiler；andsheishaunted，poorlady，bytheconvictionthatTheodoreistheinheritorofanhereditarytendencytogettinghimselfblownup。Sheattachesnoblametous，seeinginSaturday’scatastropheonlythehandoftheFamilyCurse。ItriedtocomfortherwiththeideathattheCursehavingspentitselfuponafutileeffort，nothingfurtherneednowbefearedfromit；butshepersistsintakingthegloomierviewthatinwreckingourkitchen，Theodore’s’Doom，’asshecallsit，wasmerelyindulginginasortofdressrehearsal；thefinishingperformancemaybereliedupontofollow。Itsoundsridiculous，butthepoorwomanwassodesperatelyinearnestthatwhenanunluckyurchin，comingoutofacottagewewerepassing，trippedonthedoorstepandletfallajug，webothscreamedatthesametime，andwereequallysurprisedtofind’SirRobert’stillbetweenusandallinonepiece。Ithoughtitfoolishtodiscussallthisbeforethechildhimself；butdidnotliketostopher。Asaresult，heregardshimselfevidentlyasthechosenfoeofHeaven，andisnot，unnaturally，proudofhimself。Shecalledherethis（Monday）
　　afternoontoleavecards；and，atherrequest，Ishowedherthekitchenandthematoverwhichhehadstumbled。Sheseemedsurprisedthatthe’Doom’hadletslipsofavourableachanceofaccomplishingitsbusiness，andgatheredfromthefactaddedcauseforanxiety。
　　EvidentlysomethingmuchmorethoroughisinstoreforMasterTheodore。Itwasonlyhalfapoundofgunpowder，shetoldme。
　　DoctorSmallboy’sgardenerhadboughtitforthepurposeofraisingthestumpofanoldelm—tree，andhadleftitforamomentonthegrasswhilehehadreturnedtothehouseformorebrownpaper。Sheseemedpleasedwiththegardener，who，asshesaid，might，ifdishonestlyinclined，havechargedherforapound。Iwantedtopayfor——atallevents——ourshare，butshewouldnottakeapenny。Herlatelamentedgrandfathersheregardsasthepersonresponsiblefortheentireincident，andperhapsitmaybeaswellnottodisturbherview。HadIsuggestedit，Ifeelsureshewouldhaveseenthejusticeofherprovidinguswithanewkitchenrange。
　　"Wildlyexaggeratedaccountsoftheaffairareflyingroundtheneighbourhood；andmychieffearisthatVeronicamaydiscoversheisalocalcelebrity。Yoursuddendisappearanceissupposedtohavebeenheavenward。Anoldfarmlabourerwhosawyoupassonyourwaytothestationspeaksofyouas’theghostofthepoorgentlemanhimself；’andfragmentsofclothingfoundanywherewithinaradiusoftwomilesarebeingpreserved，Iamtold，asspecimensofyourremains。Bootswouldappeartohavebeenyourchiefapparel。Sevenpairshavealreadybeencollectedfromthesurroundingditches。
　　Amongthemorepublic—spiritedthereistalkofusingyoutostartalocalmuseum。"
　　ThesefirstthreeparagraphsIdidnotreadtoEthelbertha。
　　Fortunatelytheyjustfilledthefirstsheet，whichItookanopportunityofslippingintomypocketunobserved。
　　"ThenewboyarrivedonSundaymorning，"shecontinued。"Hisname——
　　ifIhavegotitright——isWilliam。Anyhow，thatisthenearestI
　　cangettoit。Hisothername，ifany，Imustleaveyoutoextractfromhimyourself。ItmaybeBerkshirethathetalks，butitsoundsmorelikebarking。Pleaseexcusethepun；butIhavejustbeentalkingtohimforhalfanhour，tryingtomakehimunderstandthatI
　　wanthimtogohome，andmaybe，asaresult，Iamfeelingalittlehysterical。AnythingmoreruralIcannotimagine。Butheisanxioustolearn，andafairlywidefieldisinfrontofhim。IcaughthimafterourbreakfastonSundaycalmlythrowingeverythingleftoverontothedust—heap。Ipointedouttohimthewickednessofwastingnourishingfood，andimpresseduponhimthattheproperplaceforvictualswasinsideus。Heneveranswers。Hestandsstockstill，withhismouthaswideopenasitwillgo——whichissayingagooddeal——andonetruststhatone’swordsareenteringintohim。AllSundayafternoonhewasstrugglingvaliantlyagainstanalmostsupernaturalsleepiness。Afterteahegotworse，andIbegantothinkhewouldbenousetome。Wenoneofusatemuchsupper；andDick，whoappearsabletounderstandhim，helpedhimtocarrythethingsout。Iheardthemtalking，andthenDickcamebackandclosedthedoorbehindhim。’Hewantstoknow，’saidDick，’ifhecanleavethecornedbeefovertilltomorrow。Because，ifheeatsitallto—
　　night，hedoesn’tthinkhewillbeabletowalkhome。’
　　"Veronicatakesgreatinterestinhim。Shehasevidentlyamotherlysidetohercharacter，forwhichwenoneofushavegivenhercredit。
　　Shesayssheissurethereisgoodinhim。Shesitsbesidehimwhilehechopswood，andtellshimcarefullyselectedstories，calculated，sheargues，todevelophisintelligence。Sheiscareful，moreover，nottohurthisfeelingsbyanydisplayofsuperiority。’Ofcourse，anyoneleadingausefullife，suchasyours，’Ioverheardhersayingtohimthismorning，’don’tnaturallygetmuchtimeforreading。
　　I’venothingelsetodo，yousee，’cepttoimprovemyself。’
　　"ThedonkeyarrivedthisafternoonwhileIwasout——galloping，Iamgiventounderstand，with’Opkinsonhisback。Thereseemstobesomesecretbetweenthosetwo。Wehavetriedhimwithhay，andwehavetriedhimwiththistles；butheseemstopreferbread—and—
　　butter。Ihavenotbeenableasyettofindoutwhetherhetakesteaorcoffeeinthemorning。Butheisananimalthatevidentlyknowshisownmind，andfortunatelybothareinthehouse。Weareputtinghimupforto—nightwiththecow，whogreetedhimatfirstwithenthusiasmandwantedtoadopthim，buthasgrowncoldtohimsinceondiscoveringthatheisnotacalf。Ihavebeentryingtomakefriendswithher，butsheissoveryunresponsive。Shedoesn’tseemtowantanythingbutgrass，andpreferstogetthatforherself。Shedoesn’tseemtowanttobehappyeveragain。
　　"Afunnythinghappenedinchurch。Iwasforgettingtotellyou。
　　TheSt。Leonardsoccupytwopewsattheoppositeendfromthedoor。
　　Theywerealltherewhenwearrived，withtheexceptionoftheoldgentlemanhimself。Hecameinjustbeforethe’DearlyBeloved，’wheneverybodywasstandingup。Arunningfireofsuppressedtittersfollowedhimuptheaisle，andsomeofthepeoplelaughedoutright。
　　Icouldseenoreasonwhy。Helookedadignifiedoldgentlemaninhisgreyhairandtightlybuttonedfrockcoat，whichgiveshimasomewhatmilitaryappearance。ButwhenhecamelevelwithourpewI
　　understood。Hurryingbackfromhismorninground，andwithnoonetheretosuperintendhim，thedearoldabsent—mindedthinghadforgottentochangehisbreeches。FromalittleabovethekneeupwardhewasaperfectChristian；buthislegswerejustthoseofadisreputablesinner。
　　"’What’sthejoke？’hewhisperedtomeashepassed——Iwasinthecornerseat。’HaveImissedit？’
　　"Wecalledroundonthemafterlunch，andatonceIwasappealedtoformydecision。
　　"’Now，here’saplainsensiblegirl，’exclaimedtheoldgentlemanthemomentIenteredtheroom。’（YouwillnoticeIputnocommaafter’plain。’Iamtakingithedidnotintendone。Youcanemployoneadjectivetoqualifyanother，can’tyou？）’AndIwillputittoher，WhatdifferencecanitmaketotheAlmightywhetherIgotochurchintrousersorinbreeches？’
　　"’Idonotsee，’retortedMrs。St。Leonardsomewhatcoldly，’thatMissRobinaisinanybetterpositionthanmyselftospeakwithauthorityontheviewsoftheAlmighty’——whichIfeltwastrue。’IfitmakesnodifferencetotheAlmighty，thenwhynot，formysake，trousers？’
　　"’Theessentialthing，’hepersisted，’isacontriteheart。’Hewasgettingverycross。
　　"’Itmayjustaswellbedressedrespectably，’washiswife’sopinion。Helefttheroom，slammingthedoor。
　　"IdolikeJaniethemoreandmoreIseeofher。Idohopeshewillletmegetrealchumswithher。Shedoesmesomuchgood。（IreadthatbittwiceovertoEthelbertha，pretendingIhadlosttheplace。）
　　Isupposeitishavingratherasillymotherandanunpracticalfatherthathasmadehersocapable。IfyouandLittleMotherhadbeenpropersortofparentsImighthavebeenquiteadecentsortofgirl。Butit’stoolatefindingfaultwithyounow。IsupposeI
　　mustputupwithyou。Sheworkssohard，andissounselfish。Butsheisnotlikesomegoodpeople，whomakeyoufeelitishopelessyourtryingtobegood。Shegetscrossandimpatient；andthenshelaughsatherself，andgetsrightagainthatway。PoorMrs。St。
　　Leonard！Icannothelpfeelingsorryforher。ShewouldhavebeensohappyasthewifeofareallyrespectableCityman，whowouldhavegoneoffeverymorningwithaflowerinhisbuttonholeandhavewornawhitewaistcoatonSundays。Idon’tbelievewhattheysay：thathusbandsandwivesshouldbetheoppositeofoneanother。Mr。St。
　　Leonardoughttohavemarriedabrainywoman，whowouldhavediscussedphilosophywithhim，andhavebeenjustashappydrinkingbeeroutofatea—cup：youknowthesortImean。IfeverImarryitwillbeashort—temperedmanwholovesmusicandisagooddancer；
　　andifIfindouttoolatethathe’scleverI’llrunawayfromhim。
　　"Dickhasnotyetcomehome——nearlyeighto’clock。Veronicaissupposedtobeinbed，butIcanhearthingsfalling。Poorboy！I
　　expecthe’llbetired；buttodayisanexception。ThreehundredsheephavehadtobebroughtallthewayfromIlsley，andmustbe’herded’——Ifancyitiscalled——beforeanybodycanthinkofsupper。
　　Isawtoitthathehadagooddinner。
　　"Andnowtocometobusiness。YoungButehasbeenhereallday，andhasonlyjustleft。HeiscomingdownagainonFriday——which，bytheway，don’tforgetisMrs。St。Leonard’s’AtHome’day。Shehopesshemaythenhavethepleasureofmakingyouracquaintance，andthinksthatpossiblytheremaybepresentoneortwopeoplewemayliketoknow。FromwhichIgatherthathalftheneighbourhoodhasbeenspeciallyinvitedtomeetyou。Somindyoubringafrock—coat；andifLittleMothercanputherhandeasilyonmypinkmuslinwiththespots——itiseitherinmywardrobeorelseinthebottomdrawerinVeronica’sroom，ifitisn’tinthecardboardboxunderneathmother’sbed——youmightslipitintoyourbag。Butwhateveryoudodon’tcrushit。ThesashIfeelsuremotherputawaysomewhereherself。
　　Heseesnoreason——I’mtalkingnowaboutyoungBute，——ifyouapprovehisplans，whyworkshouldnotbecommencedimmediately。ShallI
　　writeoldSleetomeetyouatthehouseonFriday？FromallaccountsIdon’tthinkyou’lldobetter。Heisonthespot，andtheysayheismostreasonable。Butyouhavetogetestimates，don’tyou？Hesuggests——Mr。Bute，Imean——throwingwhatusedtobethedairyintothepassage，whichwillmakeahallbigenoughforanything。Wemightevengiveadanceinit，hethinks。ButallthisyouwillbeabletodiscusswithhimonFriday。Hehasevidentlytakenagreatdealofpains，andsomeofhissuggestionssoundsensible。Butofcoursehemustfullyunderstandthatitiswhatwewant，notwhathethinks，thatisimportant。ItoldhimyousaidIcouldhavemyroomexactlyasIlikeditmyself；andIhaveexplainedtohimmyideas。
　　HeseemedatfirsttobeundertheimpressionthatIdidn’tknowwhatIwastalkingabout，soImadeitquitecleartohimthatIdid，withtheresultthathehasconsentedtocarryoutmyinstructions，onconditionthatIputthemdowninblackandwhite——whichIthinkjustaswell，asthentherecanbenoexcuseafterwardsforargument。I
　　likehimbetterthanIdidthefirsttime。Abouteverythingelsehecanbefairlyamiable。Itiswhenhetalksabout’frontalelevations’and’groundplans’thatheirritatesme。TellLittleMotherthatI’llwriteherto—morrow。Couldn’tshecomedownwithyouonFriday？Everythingwillbeship—shapebythen；and——"
　　Theremainderwasofanaturemoreprivate。Sheconcludedwithapostscript，whichalsoIdidnotreadtoEthelbertha。
　　"ThoughtIhadfinishedtellingyoueverything，whenquiteastylishrat—tatsoundedonthedoor。IplacedanoldstrawhatofDick’sinaprominentposition，calledloudlytoanimaginary’John’nottogowithouttheletters，andthenopenedit。Heturnedouttobethelocalreporter。Ineednothavebeenalarmed。Hewasmuchthemorenervousofthetwo，andwassofullofexcusesthathadInotcometohisrescueIbelievehewouldhavegoneawayforgettingwhathe’dcomefor。NothingsaveanoverwhelmingsenseofdutytothePublic（withacapitalP）couldhaveinducedhimtoinflicthimselfuponme。
　　CouldIgivehimafewdetailswhichwouldenablehimtosetrumourright？Iimmediatelysawvisionsofheadlines：’DomesticTragedy！’
　　’EminentAuthorblownupbyhisownDaughter！’’OnceHappyHomenowaMereWreck！’Itseemedtomeouronlyplanwastoenlistthisamiableyoungmanuponourside；IhopeIdidnotoverdoit。Myideawastoconveytheimpressionthatoneglanceathimhadconvincedmehewasthebestandnoblestofmankind；thatIfeltIcouldrelyuponhiswitandcouragetosaveusfromanotorietythat，sofarasIwasconcerned，wouldsaddenmywholelife；andthatifhedidsoeternalgratitudeandadmirationwouldbetheleastIcouldlayathisfeet。
　　IcanbenicewhenItry。Peoplehavesaidso。Wepartedwithonlyapressureofthehand，andIhopehewon’tgetintotrouble，butI
　　seeTheBerkshireCourierisgoingtobedeprivedofitsprey。Dickhasjustcomein。Hepromisestotalkwhenhehasfinishedeating。"
　　Dick’sletter，forwhichEthelberthaseemedtobestrangelyimpatient，reachedusonWednesdaymorning。
　　"Ifeveryouwanttofindout，Dad，whathardworkreallymeans，youtryfarming，"wroteDick；"andyetIbelieveyouwouldlikeit。
　　Hasn’tsomeoldJohnnysomewheredescribeditasthepoetryoftheploughshare？Whydidweevertaketobotheringaboutanythingelse——
　　shuttingourselvesupinstuffyoffices，worryingourselvestodeathaboutalotofrubbishthatisn’tanygoodtoanybody？IwishI
　　couldputitproperly，Dad；youwouldseejustwhatImean。Whydon’tweliveinsimply—builthousesandgetmosteverythingwewantoutoftheland：whichweeasilycould？Youtakeadozenpoordevilsawayfromwalkingbehindtheploughandputthemdownintocoal—mines，andsetthemrunningabouthalf—nakedamongalotofroaringfurnaces，andbetweenthemtheyturnoutamachinethatdoestheploughingforthem。Whatisthesenseofit？Ofcoursesomethingsareuseful。Iwouldlikeamotor—car，andrailwaysandsteamboatsareallright；butitseemstomethathalfthefiddle—
　　faddleswefancywewantwe’dbejustaswell，ifnotbetter，without，andtherewouldbeallthattimeandenergytospareforthesortofthingsthateverybodyoughttohave。It’severywherejustlikeitwasatschool。Theykeptussohardatit，studyingGreekroots，wehadn’ttimetolearnEnglishgrammar。LookatyoungDennisYewbury。He’sgottwothousandacresupinScotland。Hecouldleadajollylifeturningtheplaceintosomerealuse。Insteadofwhichheletsitallruntowastefornothingbuttobreedafewhundredbirdsthatwouldn’tkeepasinglefamilyalive；whileheworksfrommorningtillnightathumbuggingpeopleinabeastlyholeintheCity，justtofillhishousewithahostofsillygim—cracksanddressuphimselfandhiswomen—folklikepeacocks。Ofcoursewewouldalwayswantcleverchapslikeyoutotellusstories；anddoctorswecouldn’tdowithout，thoughIguessifwewereleadingsensibleliveswe’dbeabletogetalongwithabouthalfofthem。Itseemstomethatwhatwewantisacomfortablehome，enoughtoeatanddrink，andafewfal—lalsortofthingstomakethegirlslookpretty；andthatalltherestisrot。Wewouldallofushavetimethentothinkandplayabit，andifwewereallworkingfairlyatsomethingreallyusefulandwerecontentedwithourownshare，there’dbeenoughforeverybody。
　　"Isupposethisisallnonsense，butIwishitwasn’t。Anyway，it’swhatImeantodomyself；andI’mawfullymuchobligedtoyou，Dad，forgivingmethischance。You’vehittherightnailontheheadthistime。FarmingwaswhatIwasmeantfor；Ifeelit。Iwouldhavehatedbeingabarrister，settingpeoplebytheearsandmakingmylivingoutofotherpeople’stroubles。Beingafarmeryoufeelthatindoinggoodtoyourselfyouaredoinggoodallround。MissJanieagreeswithallIsay。IthinksheisoneofthemostsensiblegirlsIhaveevercomeacross，andRobinlikesherawfully。Soistheoldman：he’sabrick。Ithinkhehastakenalikingtome，andIknowIhavetohim。He’sthedearestoldfellowimaginable。Theveryturnipsheseemstothinkofasthoughtheyweresomanyrowsoflittlechildren。Andhemakesyouseetheinsideofthings。Takefieldsnow，forinstance。Iusedtothinkafieldwasjustafield。
　　Youscrapeditaboutandplanteditwithseeds，andeverythingelsedependedontheweather。Why，Dad，it’salive！Therearegoodfieldsthatwanttogeton——thataregratefulforeverythingyoudoforthem，andtakeaprideinthemselves。Andtherearebrutesoffieldsthatyoufeelyouwanttokick。Youcanwasteahundredpounds’worthofmanureonthem，anditonlymakesthemmorestupidthantheywerebefore。Oneofourfields——awizened—lookingeleven—
　　acrestripborderingtheFyfieldroad——hehaschristenedMrs。
　　Gummidge：itseemstofeeleverythingmorethananyotherfield。
　　Fromwhateverpointofthecompassthewindblowsthatfieldgetsthemostharmfromit。Youwouldthinktolookatitafterastormthattherehadn’tbeenanyraininanyotherfield——thatthat’particularfieldmusthavegotitall；whiletwodays’sunshinehastheeffectuponitthatasixweeks’droughtwouldonanyotherfield。Histheory（hemusthaveatheorytoaccountforeverything；itcomfortshim。Hehasjusthituponatheorythatexplainswhytwinsarebornwithtwiceasmuchoriginalsinasotherchildren，anddoesn’tseemtomindnowwhattheydo）isthateachoddcorneroftheearthhasgainedacharacterofitsownfromthespiritsofthecountlessdeadmenburiedinitsbosom。’Robbersandthieves，’hewillsay，kickingthesodofsomefieldallstonesandthistles；’sillyfightingmenwhothoughtGodbuilttheworldmerelytogivethemthefunofknockingitabout。Lookatthem，thefools！stonesandthistles——
　　thistlesandstones：thatistheirnotionofafield。’Or，leaningoverthegateofsomefieldofrich—smellingsoil，hewillstretchouthisarmsasthoughtocaressit：’Bravelads！’hewillsay；
　　’kindlyhonestfellowswholovedthepoorpeasantfolk。’Ifancyhehasnotgotmuchsenseofhumour；orifhehas，itisahumourheleavesyoutofindoutforyourself。Onedoesnotfeelonewantstolaugh，listeningeventohismostwhimsicalideas；andanyhowitisafactthatoftwofieldsquiteclosetooneanother，onewillbeworthtenpoundsanacreandtheotherdearathalfacrown，andthereseemstobenothingtoexplainit。Wehaveaseven—acrepatchjusthalfwayupthehill。Hesaysheneverpassesitwithouttakingoffhishattoit。Whateveryouputinitdoeswell；whileotherfields，trythemwithwhatyouwill，itisalwaystheverythingtheydidnotwant。Youmightfancythemfractiouschildren，alwayscryingfortheotherchild’sbun。Thereisreallynoreasonforitsbeingsuchagoodfield，exceptitsownpluck。Itfacestheeast，andthewoodforhalfthedayhidesitfromthesun；butitmakesthebestofeverything，andevenonthegreyestdayitseemstobesmilingatyou。’Somehappy—heartedMotherThing——asingeroflovesongsthewhileshetoiled，’hewillhaveit，mustliesleepingthere。By—the—
　　bye，whatajollyfieldJaniewouldmake！Don’tyouthinkso，Dad？
　　"Whatthedickens，Dad，haveyoudonetoVeronica？Shewandersabouteverywherewithanexercisebookinherhand，andwhenyousayanythingtoher，insteadofansweringyouback，shesitsplumpdownwhereversheisandwritesforallshe’sworth。Shewon’tsaywhatshe’supto。Shesaysit’saprivatematterbetweenyouandher，andthatlateronthingsaregoingtobeseenintheirtruelight。I
　　toldherthismorningwhatIthoughtofherforforgettingtofeedthedonkey。Iwasprepared，ofcourse，forahundredexplanations：
　　First，thatshehadmeanttofeedthedonkey；secondly，thatitwasn’therplacetofeedthedonkey；thirdly，thatthedonkeywouldhavebeenfedifcircumstancesoverwhichshehadnocontrolhadnotarisenrenderingitimpossibleforhertofeedthedonkey；fourthly，thatthemorningwasn’tthepropertimetofeedthedonkey，andsoon。Insteadofwhich，outshewhipsthisridiculousbookandasksmeifIwouldmindsayingitoveragain。
　　"IkeepforgettingtoaskJaniewhatitishehasbeenaccustomedto。
　　Wehavetriedhimwiththistles，andwe’vetriedhimwithhay。Thethistleshescratcheshimselfagainst；butforthehayheappearstohavenousewhatever。Robinthinkshisideaistosaveustrouble。
　　Wearenottogetinanythingespeciallyforhim——whateverwemayhappentobehavingourselveshewillputupwith。Bread—and—buttercutthick，orasliceofcakewithanappleseemstobehisnotionofalightlunch；andfordrinkhefanciesteaoutofaslop—basin，withtwoknobsofsugarandplentyofmilk。Robinsaysit’swasteoftimetakinghismealsouttohim。Shesayssheisgoingtotrainhimtocomeinwhenhehearsthegong。Weusethealarmclockatpresentforagong。Idon’tknowwhatIshalldowhenthecowgoesaway。
　　Shewakesmeeverymorningpunctuallyathalf—pastfour，butI’minabluefunkthatoneofthesedaysshewilloversleepherself。Itisoneofthoseclocksyoureadabout。Youwrotesomethingratherfunnyaboutoneonceyourself，butIalwaysthoughtyouhadinventedit。I
　　boughtitbecausetheysaiditwasanextraloudone，andsoitis。
　　Thethingthat’swrongaboutitisthat，dowhatyouwill，youcan’tgetittogooffbeforesixo’clockinthemorning。IsetitonSundayeveningforhalf—pastfour——wefarmersdohavetowork，Icantellyou。Butit’sworthit。Ihadnoideathattheworldwassobeautiful。Thereisalightyouneverseeatanyothertime，andthewholeairseemstobefullofflutteringsong。Youfeel——butyoumustgetupandcomeoutwithme，Dad。Ican’tdescribeit。Ifithadn’tbeenforthegoodoldcow，LordknowswhattimeI’dhavebeenup。Theclockwentoffathalf—pastfourintheafternoon，justastheyweresittingdowntotea，andfrightenedthemalloutoftheirskins。Wehavefiddledaboutwithitallweknow，butthere’snogettingittodoanythingbetweensixp。m。andsixam。Anythingyouwantofitinthedaytimeitisquiteagreeableto。Butitseemstohavefixeditsownworkinghours，andisn’tgoingtobebustledoutofitsproperrest。IgotsomadwithitmyselfIwantedtopitchitoutofthewindow，butRobinthoughtweoughttokeepittillyoucame，thatperhapsyoumightbeabletodosomethingwithit——writingsomethingaboutit，shemeans。IsaidIthoughtalarmclockswereprettywellplayedoutbythistime；but，asshesays，thereisalwaysanewgenerationcomingalongtowhomalmosteverythingmustbefresh。Anyhow，theconfoundedthingcostsevenandsix，andseemstobenogoodforanythingelse。
　　"WhateverwasitthatyoureallydidsaytoRobinaboutherroom？
　　YoungButecameroundtomeonMondayquiteupsetaboutit。Hesaysitisgoingtobeallwindows，andwilllook，whenfinished，likeanincorrectcopyoftheEddystonelighthouse。Hesaystherewillbenoplaceforthebed，andifthereistobeafireplaceatallitwillhavetobeinthecupboard，andthattheonlyway，sofarashecansee，ofhergettinginandoutofitwillbebyadoorthroughthebathroom。Shesaidthatyousaidshecouldhaveitentirelytoherownidea，andthathewasjusttocarryoutherinstructions；but，ashepointsout，youcan’thavearoominahouseasiftherestofthehousewasn’tthere，evenifitisyourownroom。Nobody，itseems，willbeabletohaveabathwithoutfirsttalkingitoverwithher，andarrangingatimemutuallyconvenient。ItoldhimIwassureyounevermeanthimtodoanythingabsurd；andthathisbestplanwouldbetogostraightbacktoher，explaintoherthatshe’dbeentalkinglikeasillygoat——hecouldhaveputitpolitely，ofcourse——andthathewasn’tgoingtopayanyattentiontoher。YoumighthavethoughtIhadsuggestedhiswalkingintoadenoflionsandpullingalltheirtails。Idon’tknowwhatRobinhasdonetohim，butheseemsquitefrightenedofher。IhadtopromisethatIwouldtalktoher。He’dbetterhavedoneithimself。Ionlytoldherjustwhathesaid，andoffshewentinoneofhertantrums。Youknowherstyle：Ifshelikedtoliveinaroomwhereshecouldseetodoherhairthatwasnobusinessofhis，andifhecouldn’tdesignaplain，simplebedroomthatwasn’tgoingtolookridiculousandmakeherthelaughing—stockofalltheneighbourhood，thentheRoyalInstituteofBritishArchitectsmusthavestrangenotionsofthesortofpersonentitledtogoaboutthecountrybuildinghouses；thatifhethoughttheproperplaceforafirewasinacupboard，shedidn’t；thathisdutywastocarryouttheinstructionsofhisemployers，andifheimaginedforamomentshewasgoingtoconsenttoremainshutupinherroomtilleverybodyinthehousehadfinishedbathingitwouldbebetterforustosecuretheservicesofsomebodypossessedofalittlecommonsense；thatnexttimeshemethimshewouldcertainlytellhimwhatshethoughtofhim，alsothatsheshouldcertainlydeclinetoholdanyfurthercommunicationwithhimagain；thatshedoesn’twantabedroomnowofanysort——perhapsshemaybepermittedashakedowninthepantry，orperhapsVeronicawillallowheranoccasionalnight’srestwithher，andifnotitdoesn’tmatter。
　　You’llhavetotalktoheryourself。I’mnotgoingtosayanymore。
　　"Don’tforgetthatFridayistheSt。Leonards’’AtHome’day。I’vepromisedJaniethatyoushallbethereinallyourbestclothes。
　　（Don’ttellherI’mcallingherJanie。Itmightoffendher。ButnobodycallsherMissSt。Leonard。）Everybodyiscoming，andallthechildrenarehavingtheirhairwashed。Youwillhaveitallyourownwaydownhere。There’snoothercelebritytillyougettoBossCroker，theTammanyman，theothersideofIlsleyDowns。Artiststheydon’tcount。Therumourwasallroundtheplacelastweekthatyouwerehereincognitointhepersonofadismal—lookingJohnny，stayingatthe’Fisherman’sRetreat，’whousedtositalldayinapuntupthebackwaterdrinkingwhisky。ItmademerathermadwhenI
　　sawhim。Isupposeitwasthewhiskythatsuggestedtheideatothem。Theyhavegotthenotioninthesepartsthataliterarymanisasortofinspiredtramp。AMrs。Jaggerswade——orsomesuchname——
　　whomImethereonSundayandwhoiscomingonFriday，tookmeasideandaskedme’whatsortofthings’yousaidwhenyoutalked？Shesaidshefeltsureitwouldbesoclever，and，herself，shewaslookingforwardtoit；butwouldI——’quitebetweenourselves’——advisehertobringthechildren。
　　"Isay，youwillhavetotalkseriouslytoVeronica。Countrylifeseemstoagreewithher。She’stakentopoachingalready——sheandthetwins。Itwastheonesinthathithertotheyhadnevercommitted，andIfancytheoldmanwasfeelingproudofthis。
　　LuckilyIcaughtthemcominghome——withtendeadrabbitsstrungonapole，thetwinscarryingitbetweenthemontheirshoulders，suggestingthepictureofthespiesreturningfromthepromisedlandwiththatbunchofgrapes——Veronicascoutingonaheadwith，everytenyards，hereartotheground，listeningforhostilefootsteps。Thethingthattroubledhermostwasthatshehadn’theardmecoming；sheseemedtofearthatsomethinghadgonewrongwiththelawsofNature。
　　Theyhadfoundthewholecollectionhangingfromatree，andhadpersuadedthemselvesthatProvidencemusthavebeenexpectingthem。
　　Iinsistedontheirgoingbackwithmeandshowingmethetree，muchtotheirdisgust。Andfortunatelythekeeperwasn’tabout——theyarementhatlovemakingarow。Italkedsomefinemoralsentimenttoher。Butshesaysyouhavetoldherthatitdoesn’tmatterwhetheryouaregoodorbad，thingshappentoyoujustthesame；andthisbeingsoshefeelsshemayaswellenjoyherself。Iaskedherwhysheneverseemedabletoenjoyherselfbeinggood——IbelieveifI’dalwayshadakidtobringupI’dhavebeenamodelchapmyselfbythistime。Heranswerwasthatshesupposedshewasbornbad。I
　　pointedouttoherthatwasareflectiononyouandLittleMother；
　　andsheansweredsheguessedshemustbea’throw—back。’OldSlee’sgotadogthatoughttohavebeenafox—terrier，butisn’t，andheseemstohavebeenexplainingthingstoher。
　　"Athingthatwilltroubleyoudownhere，Dad，isthecrueltyofthecountry。Theycatchthesepoorlittlewretchesintraps，leavingthemsometimesfordayssufferingwhatmustbetothemnothingshortofagony——tosaynothingoftheterrorandthehunger。Itriedputtingmyfingerinoneofthebeastlythingsandkeepingitthereforjusttwominutesbymywatch。Itseemedliketwenty。Thepaingrowsmoreintensewitheverysecond，andI’mnotasoft，asyouknow。I’velainhalfanhourwithabrokenleg，andthatwasn’tasbad。Onehearsthelittlecreaturesscreaming，butcannotfindthem。
　　Ofcoursewhenonedrawsneartheykeepsilent。Itmakesonequitedislikecountrypeople。Theyaresocallous。Whenyouspeaktothemaboutittheyonlygrin。Janiegoesnearlymadaboutit。Mr。St。
　　Leonardtriedtogettheclergymantosaysomethingonthesubject，butheansweredthathethoughtitbetter’fortheChurchtoconfineherselftotheaccomplishmentofherowngreatmission。’Ass！
　　"BringLittleMotherdown；wewanttoshowheroffonFriday。Andmakeherputonsomethingpretty。Askherifshe’sgotthatlilacthingwithlacesheworeatCambridgefortheMayWeektheyearbeforelast。Tellhernottobesilly；itwasn’tabittooyoung。
　　Nashsaidshelookedlikesomethingoutofanoldpicture，andhe’sgoingtobeanartist。Don’tletherdressherself。Shedoesn’tunderstandit。Andwillyougetmeagun——"
　　Theremainderoftheletterwastakenupwithinstructionsconcerningthegun。Itseemedacomplicatedsortofgun。IwishedIhadn’treadabouttheguntoEthelbertha。Itmadehernervousfortherestoftheday。
　　Veronica’sletterfollowedonThursdaymorning。Ireaditgoingdowninthetrain。IntranscribingIhavethoughtitbetter，asregardsthespelling，toadoptthemoreconventionalforms。
　　"Youwillbepleasedtohear，"Veronicawrote，"thatweareallquitewell。Robinworksveryhard。ButIthinkitdoeshergood。AndofcourseIhelpher。AllIcan。Iamgladshehasgotaboy。Todothewashing—up。Ithinkthatwastoomuchforher。Itusedtomakehercross。Onecannotblameher。Itistryingwork。Anditmakesyoumucky。Heisagoodboy。Buthasbeenneglected。Sodoesn’tknowmuch。Iamteachinghimgrammar。Hesays’youwas’and’herbe。’Butisgettingbetter。Hesayshewenttoschool。Buttheycouldn’thavetakenanytroublewithhim。Couldthey？Thesystem，I
　　suppose，wasrotten。RobinasaysImustn’toverdoit。BecauseyouwanthimtotalkBerkshire。SoIproposeconfiningourattentiontotheelementaryrules。HehadneverheardofRobinsonCrusoe。Whatalife！WewenttochurchonSunday。Icouldnotfindmygloves。AndRobinawaswaxy。ButMr。St。Leonardcamewithouthistrousers。
　　Whichwasworse。Wefoundthemintheevening。Thelittleboythatblewupourstovewastherewithhismother。ButIdidn’tspeaktoher。He’sgotadoom。That’swhatmadehimblowitup。Hecouldn’thelpit。Soyouseeitwasn’tmyfault。Afterall。Hisgrandfatherwasblownup。Andhe’sgoingtobeblownupagain。Lateron。Butheisverybrave。Andisgoingtomakeawill。IlikealltheSt。
　　Leonardsverymuch。WewenttheretoteaonSunday。AndMr。St。
　　LeonardsaidIwasbright。IthinkMissJanieverybeautiful。AndsodoesDick。Shemakesmethinkofangels。SoshedoesDick。Andhesayssheissokindtoherlittlebrothersandsisters。Itisagoodsign。IthinksheoughttomarryDick。Itwouldsteadyhim。
　　Heworksveryhard。ButIthinkitdoeshimgood。Wehavebreakfastatseven。AndIlaythetable。Itisverybeautifulinthemorning。
　　Whenyouareonceup。Mrs。St。Leonardhastwins。Theyareagreatanxietytoher。Butshewouldnotpartfromthem。Shehashadmuchtrouble。Andissometimesverysad。Ilikethegirlbest。HernameisWinnie。Sheismorelikeaboy。HisnameisWilfrid。Butsometimestheychangeclothes。Thenyou’redone。Theyareonlynearlyseven。Buttheyknowalot。Theyaregoingtoteachmeswimming。Isitnotkindofthem？Thetwoolderboysareathomefortheirholidays。Buttheygivethemselvesalotofairs。Andtheycalledmeaflapper。Itoldhimhe’dbesorry。Whenhewasaman。BecauseperhapsI’dgrowupbeautiful。Andthenhe’dfallinlovewithme。Buthesaidhewouldn’t。SoIlethimseewhatI
　　thoughtofhim。Thelittlegirlisverynice。Sheisaboutmyownage。HernameisSally。Wearegoingtowriteaplay。Butwesha’n’tletBertieactinit。Unlessheturnsoveranewleaf。I’mgoingtobeaprincessthatdoesn’tknowit。Butonlyfeelsit。Andshe’sgoingtobeawickedwitch。Whatwantsmetomarryherson。
　　What’sasight。ButIwon’t，becauseI’dratherdiefirst。Andaminlovewithaswineherd。Thatisagenius。Onlynobodysuspectsit。Iwearacrowninthelastact。Andeverybodyrejoices。Excepther。Ithinkitwillbegood。Wehavenearlyfinishedthefirstact。Shewritesverywell。Andhasasenseofatmosphere。AndI
　　tellherwhattosay。MissJanieisgoingtomakemeadresswithatrain。Andgoldspangles。AndRobinaisgoingtolendmeherbluenecklace。Anythingwilldoofcoursefortheoldwitch。Soitwon’tbemuchtroubletoanyone。Mr。Buteisgoingtopaintussomescenery。Andwearegoingtoinviteeverybody。Heisverynice。
　　Robinasayshethinkstoomuchofhimself。Byalongchalk。Butsheisverycriticalwheremenareconcerned。Sheadmitsit。Shesaysshecan’thelpit。Ifindhimveryaffable。AndsodoesDick。WethinkRobinawillgetoverit。Andhehaspromisednottobeangrywithher。BecauseIhavetoldhimthatshedoesnotmeanit。Itisonlyherway。Shesaysshefeelsitisunjustofher。Becausereallyheisrathercharming。Itoldhimthat。AndhesaidIwasadearlittlegirl。Heisgoingtogetmearealcrown。Robinasayshehasniceeyes。Itoldhimthat。Andhelaughed。ThereisagentlemancomesherethatIthinkisinlovewithRobina。ButI
　　shouldn’tsayanythingtoheraboutit。IfIwasyou。Sheisverysnappyaboutit。Heisnothandsome。Buthelooksgood。Hewritesforthepapers。ButIdon’tthinkheisrich。AndRobinaisverynicetohim。Untilhe’sgone。Thenshegetsmad。Itallbeganwiththeexplosion。Soperhapsitwasfate。Heisgoingtokeepitoutofthepapers。Asmuchashecan。Butofcourseheowesadutytothepublic。Iamgoingtodeclinetoseehim。Ithinkitbetter。
　　Mr。Sleesayseverythingwillbeinapple—pieorderto—morrow。Soyoucancomedown。AndwearegoingtohaveIrishstew。Androly—
　　polypudding。Itwillbeachange。Heisverynice。Andsayshewasalwaysintroublehimselfwhenhewasalittleboy。It’sallexperience。WeareallgoingonFridaytoapartyatMr。St。
　　Leonard’s。Andyouhavegottocometoo。RobinasaysIcanwearmynewfrock。Butwecan’tfindthesash。Itisverystrange。BecauseIrememberhavingseenit。Youdidn’ttakeitforanything，didyou？
　　Weshallhavetogetanewone，Isuppose。Itisveryannoying。Mynewshoeshavealsonotwornwell。Andtheyoughttohave。BecauseRobinasaystheywereexpensive。Thedonkeyhascome。Andheissweet。Heeatsoutofmyhand。Andletsmekisshim。Buthewon’tgo。Hegoesalittlewhenyoushoutathim。Veryloud。MeandRobinawentforadriveyesterdayaftertea。AndDickranbeside。
　　Andshouted。Buthegothoarse。Andthenhewouldn’tgonomore。
　　AndRobinadidnotlikeit。BecauseDickshoutedswearwords。Hesaystheycomenaturallytoyouwhenyoushout。AndRobinasaiditwashorrible。Andthatpeoplewouldhearhim。Sowegotout。Andpushedhimhome。Butheisverystrong。Andwewereallverytired。
　　AndRobinasaysshehateshim。DickisgoingtogiveMr。’Opkinshalfacrown。Totellhimhowhemakeshimgo。BecauseMr。’Opkinsmakeshimgallop。Robinasaysitmustbehypnotism。ButDickthinksitmightbesomethingsimpler。IthinkMr。’Opkinsverynice。Hesaysyoupromisedtolendhimabook。Whatwouldhelphimtotalklikearealcountryboy。SoIhavelenthimabookaboutawindow。
　　ByMr。Bane。Whatcametoseeuslastyear。Ithasalotoffunnywordsinit。Andheisgoingtolearnthemup。Buthedon’tknowwhattheymean。NomoredoI。Ihavewrittenalotofthebook。Itpromisestobeveryinteresting。Itisalladream。Heisjusttheordinarygrown—upfather。Neitherbetternorworse。Andhegoesupandup。Itisapleasantsensation。Tillhereachesthemoon。Andthereeverythingisdifferent。Itisthechildrenthatknoweverything。Andarealwaysright。Andthegrown—upshavetodoallwhattheytellthem。Theyarekindbutfirm。Itisverygoodforhim。Andwhenhewakesupheisabetterman。Iputdowneverythingthatoccurstome。Likeyousuggested。Thereisquitealotofit。
　　Anditmakesyouseehowunjustlychildrenaretreated。TheysaidI
　　wastofeedthedonkey。Becauseitwasmydonkey。AndIfedhim。
　　Andtherewasn’tenoughsupperforDick。AndDicksaidIwasanidiot。AndRobinasaidIwasn’ttofeedhim。Andinthemorningtherewasn’tanythingtofeedhimon。Becausehewon’teatanythingbutbread—and—butter。Andthebakerhadn’tcome。Andhewasn’tthere。Becausethemanthatcomestomilkthecowhadleftthedooropen。AndIwasdistracted。AndDickaskedhadIfedhim。AndofcourseIhadn’tfedhim。AndlordhowDicktalked。Neverwaitedtohearanything，mindyou。Ilethimtalk。Butitjustshowsyou。Weareallveryhappy。Butshallbepleasedtoseeyou。Onceagain。
　　Thepeppermintcreamsdownherearenotgood。Andareverydear。
　　ComparedwithLondonprices。Isn’tthisagoodletter？YousaidI
　　wastoalwayswritejustasIthought。SoI’mdoingit。Ithinkthat’sall。"
　　IreadselectionsfromthisletteraloudtoEthelbertha。Shesaidshewasgladshehaddecidedtocomedownwithme。
　　CHAPTERIX
　　Hadallthingsgoneasordered，ourarrivalattheSt。Leonards’onFridayafternoonwouldhavebeenimposing。Itwasourentrance，sotospeak，uponthelocalstage；andRobinahaddecideditwasacasewheresmalleconomiesoughtnottobeconsidered。Theliverystableproprietorhadsuggestedabrougham，butthatwouldhavenecessitatedoneofusridingoutside。IexplainedtoRobinathat，inthecountry，thiswasusual；andRobinahadrepliedthatmuchdependeduponfirstimpressions。Dickwould，inallprobability，claimtheplaceforhimself；and，themomentwewerestarted，stickapipeinhismouth。Sheselectedanopenlandauofquiteanextraordinarysize，paintedyellow。ItlookedtomeanobjectmoreappropriatetoaLordMayor’sshowthantotherequirementsofaChristianfamily；
　　butRobinaseemedtouchyonthesubject，andIsaidnomore。Itcertainlywasroomy。OldGlossophadturneditoutwell，withapairofgreys——seventeenhands，Ijudgedthem。Theonlythingthatseemedwrongwasthecoachman。Ican’texplainwhy，buthestruckmeastheclassofyouthoneassociateswithamilk—cart。
　　Wesetoutatagentletrot。Veronica，whohadbeenintroublemostofthemorning，satstifflyontheextremeedgeofherseat，clothedintheattitudeofonedeadtotheworld；Dick，inlavenderglovesthatRobinahadthoughtfullyboughtforhim，nexttoher。
　　Ethelbertha，Robina，andmyselfsatperchedonthebackseat；tohaveleanedbackwouldhavebeentoliedown。Ethelbertha，havingmadeuphermindshewasgoingtodislikethewholefamilyoftheSt。
　　Leonards，seemeddisinclinedforconversation。MyselfIhadforgottenmycigar—case。IhavetriedtheSt。Leonardcigar。Hedoesnotsmokehimself；butkeepsaboxforhisfriends。Hetellsmehefanciesmenaresmokingcigarslessthanformerly。IdidnotseehowIwasgoingtogetasmokeforthenextthreehours。Nothingannoysmemorethanbeingbustledandmadetoforgetthings。Robina，whohasrecentlychangedherviewsonthesubjectoffreckles，sharedaparasolwithhermother。Theyhadtoholditalmosthorizontallyinfrontofthem，andthisobscuredtheirview。Icouldnotmyselfunderstandwhypeoplesmiledaswewentby。Apartfromthecarriage，whichtheymusthaveseenbefore，wewerenot，Ishouldhavesaid，anexhilaratingspectacle。Apartyofcyclistslaughedoutright。
　　Robinasaidtherewasonethingweshouldhavetobecarefulabout，livinginthecountry，andthatwasthatthestrongairandthelonelinesscombineddidn’tsapourintellect。Shesaidshehadnoticedit——thetendencyofcountrypeopletobecomeprematurelysilly。Ididnotshareherfears，asIhadbythistimedivinedwhatitwasthatwasamusingfolks。Dickhaddiscoveredbehindthecushions——remnantofsomerecentwedding，onesupposes——alargeandtastefullyboundBookofCommonPrayer。HeandVeronicasatholdingitbetweenthem。Lookingattheirfacesonecouldalmostheartheorganpealing。
　　Dickkeptoneeyeontheparasol；andwhen，onpassingintoshade，itwaslowered，heandVeronicawerewatchingwithraptecstasytheflightofswallows。RobinasaidsheshouldtellMr。Glossopoftheinsultstowhichrespectablepeopleweresubjectwhenridinginhiscarriage。Shethoughtheoughttotakestepstopreventit。Shelikewisesuggestedthatthefourofus，leavingtheLittleMotherinthecarriage，shouldwalkupthehill。Ethelberthasaidthatsheherselfwouldlikeawalk。Shehadbeenbalancingherselfontheedgeofacushionwithherfeetdanglingfortwomiles，andwastired。Sheherselfwouldhavepreferredacarriagemadeforordinary—sizedpeople。Ourcoachmancalledattentiontotheheatoftheafternoonandthelengthofthehill，andrecommendedourremainingwherewewere；buthisadvicewasdismissedasexhibitingwantoffeeling。Robinais，perhaps，atrifleover—sympatheticwhereanimalsareconcerned。Iremember，whentheywerechildren，herbangingDickovertheheadwiththenurserybellowsbecausehewouldnotagreetotalkinawhisperforfearofwakingthecat。Youcan，ofcourse，overdokindnesstoanimals，butitisafaultontherightside；and，asarule，Idonotdiscourageher。Veronicawasallowedtoremain，owingtoherbadknee。Itisamostunfortunateaffliction。Itcomesonquitesuddenly。Thereisnothingtobeseen；butthechild’sfacewhilesheissufferingfromitwouldmoveaheartofstone。Ithadbeentroublingher，soitappeared，allthemorning；butshehadsaidnothing，notwishingtoalarmhermother。
　　Ethelbertha，whothinksitmaybehereditary——sheherselfhavinghadanauntwhohadsufferedfromcontractedligament——fixedherupascomfortablyasthepainwouldpermitwithcushionsinthecentreofthebackseat；andtherestofustoiledafterthecarriage。
　　Ishouldnotliketosayforcertainthathorseshaveasenseofhumour，butIsometimesthinktheymust。Ihadahorseyearsagowhousedtotakedelightinteasinggirls。Icandescribeitnootherway。Hewouldpickoutagirlaquarterofamileoff；alwayssomehaughty，well—dressedgirlwhowasfeelingpleasedwithherself。Asweapproachedhewouldeyeherwithhorrorandastonishment。Itwastoomarkedtoescapenotice。Ahundredyardsoffhewouldbewalkingsideways，backingawayfromher；Iwouldseethepoorladygrowingscarletwiththeinsultandannoyanceofit。Oppositetoher，hewouldshytheentirewidthoftheroad，andmakepretencetobolt。
　　LookingbackIwouldseehervainlyappealingtosurroundingnatureforalooking—glasstoseewhatitwasthathadgonewrongwithher。
　　"Whatisthematterwithme，"shewouldbecryingtoherself；"thattheverybeastsofthefieldshouldshunme？Dotheytakemeforagollywog？"
　　Halfwayupthehill，theoff—sidegreyturnedhisheadandlookedatus。Wewereaboutacoupleofhundredyardsbehind；itwasahotanddustyday。Hewhisperedtothenear—sidegrey，andthenear—sidegreyturnedandlookedatusalso。Iknewwhatwascoming。I’vebeenplayedthesametrickbefore。Ishoutedtotheboy，butitwastoolate。Theytooktherestofthehillatagallopanddisappearedoverthebrow。Hadtherebeenanexperiencedcoachmanbehindthem，I
　　shouldnothaveworried。Dicktoldhismothernottobealarmed，andstartedoffatfifteenmilesanhour。IcalculatedIwasdoingaboutten，whichforagentlemanpasthisfirstyouth，inafrocksuitdesignedtodisguiseratherthangiveplaytothefigure，Iconsidercreditable。Robina，undecidedwhethertogoonaheadwithDickorremaintoassisthermother，wastedvigourbyrunningfromonetotheother。Ethelbertha’sonehopewasthatshemightreachthewreckageintimetoreceiveVeronica’slastwishes。